Book Store Blues

Him

Being an adult is weird. You plan on responsibilities taking over your life and debt drowning you.

It's easier than that. If you have control. I was confident in myself. I was sure I would drown in the suffrage of adult hood.

Being 25 has both advantages and disadvantages. I can buy wine and not feel guilty. But I can't buy tequila without the checkout clerk at Walgreens acting like I'm some teenage thug.

Being an adult also has its disadvantages though. I own a book store and I have a masters in philosophy. I love my book store don't get me wrong. But I would have loved to do more with a framed piece of paper.

I get plenty of customers everyday. They are mostly there to talk, but they buy books to help me keep my store running. It's rare when knew people come in. But I don't mind. New faces with new stories to tell me when I offer them a drink. Some people don't chat, some people talk for hours telling me their stories. I love it. Learning about people that is. It's weird to find out something about a stranger when you've just met. It's exposing, invigorating. I love new people.
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Sitting at the desk in my small building squeezed between a bank and a tattoo parlor, my glasses gradually sliding down my nose as I reread The Clockwork Princess for the eighth time within a few months. The hallow chimes by my door ring as the door gets pushed open, the familiar squeak echoing through the quiet shop.

"Hi." I say lifting my head up and pushing my glasses up my nose. "Welcome to Pages." I say smiling gently and slipping back into my shoes. "Can I help you find anything?" I say looking at the man who walked in. He was attractive, very attractive actually. He had deep brown eyes and curly brown hair pulled back into a bun and his beard thick like a forest. I liked it. Normally beards are nice but his seemed comforting. He was wearing a light weight grey sweater that hung on his broad shoulders and loose fitting jeans with work boots. He was handsome and well put together. He had a cigarette tucked behind his ear and a nervous smile on his mouth, I noticed his freckles right away and the slight crook in his nose.

"I'm looking for children's books? Specifically about cats." The man said reaching up an scratching his beard softly. "My daughters half birthday is coming up and she absolutely adores cats." He says fondness flickering over his face briefly.

"Of course, what child doesn't?" I say smiling brightly and walking around my desk leading him towards the small children's section and pulling out three books about cats. "I love reading these." I say gently opening the yellow wrinkled pages running my hand over it to smooth a corner down. "I think your daughter will enjoy them." I smile looking up to his face. "What's she like? Your daughter?"

The man smiles fondly again and begins talking his voice quieter than before. "She's only five years old. She's starting kindergarten in just a few months." He says clicking his tongue softly. "She has brown hairs, curly as a sheep. And I swear her eyes are taken from the sky they're just so blue." He says scratching his beard again. "She's defiantly my daughter." He says looking around, then at the ground, then meeting my eyes again. "Her names Daisy." He says softly. "My name is Thomas." He states after a few moments holding out a hand to shake mine.

"I'm Baylee." I say shaking his callused hand and laughing gently. "You're daughter sounds lovely." I tell him closing the book and smiling softly. "So which book would you like?" I question gently.

"All of them." Thomas says looking into my eyes instead of at the books like he was just seconds earlier. "Nothing's to good for my daughter. Honest to god." He says pushing the sleeves of his sweater up revealing to full arm tattoos.

"Tell me about all those." I say nodding at his arms heading towards the front now walking beside him instead of in front of him.

"There's not much to tell. I just liked the pictures I saw and knew I needed them." Thomas murmurs quietly, as if he didn't want to disrupt the stores quiet feeling.

"I think they suit you very well." I gently state going behind the counter and ringing him up. "That'll be $2.50." I say gently sliding the books over to him.

"That's it?" Thomas says gently seeming surprised at the cost. "Is there a tip box or something?" He says jokingly looking around the counter for a jar.

I nod and laugh loudly at his little joke. "Yes that's it. These books are old and not worth very much. So I just make my own price."

Thomas nods gently and slides me over five dollars. "Please just keep the money."

I shake my head. "It's not that big of a deal." I say honestly. "Trust me. It's fine. Just...." I trail gently. "Tell me more about you." I whisper looking up and flashing him a smile.